Usually, Wednesday nights are known as cabin nights. This means all the counselors and campers in a cabin spend the evening together playing basketball, or swimming, or fishing or whatever else they want to do. This was the designated week that the campers and counselors would all camp out at various locations around camp.
The tarps were being cleaned and the sleeping bags were being rolled with the whole camp abuzz about the evening ahead. Hamburgers and hot dogs were on the grill and the other necessities were packed.
But then, only moments before the bell to end the second free swim, the clouds started spitting a tiny amount of water. While we all waited to see if it would stop so that we could have our outdoor adventure, that spitting turned into a steady rain and at times a downpour.
As we watched the water trickle down the hill and wash out some loose gravel, we saw our hopes for an outdoor cabin night wash away as well.
We all stood around and wondered what to do next. We went ahead with our cookout dinner under the pavilion despite not knowing what was headed our way as far as an evening activity goes. When it seemed like we had waited forever under the pavilion, Jacqui, Karina, Mike and Dean grabbed the bullhorn and announced that instead of sleeping outside we were going to have a pageant to decide Mr. and Mrs. CTT.
Each bunk had to pick one counselor to represent them in a three-segment contest. The entire bunk had to help out and we had less than an hour to put it all together!
Despite the short time to prepare the evening was a smashing success. The first segment, the question and answer session, was fun but the real action began in the evening wear competition. The selected counselors went all out on their costumes with help for their bunkmates. One of the neatest costumes, in my opinion, was Twix’s ridiculous get-up. He wore a leopard-print Snuggie and a gold vest.
I have no idea where you get a leopard-print Snuggie, but he rocked it like no other.
The most impressive outfit from the girl’s side had to belong to Charlotte. She took to the catwalk in a zebra-print one-piece pajama suit. I had no idea they made infant pajamas to fit adults, but a tip of the hat to the girl’s tent group that produced one.
The talent contest was the marquee event of the night. The girl CITs sang a song with all of their names in it and centered on their contestant, Nicole. Tis demonstrated his ability to fight ninjas and Julie showed everyone how good a counselor she was by speeding through a day in her life. Even I got into the act, using the children of cabin one as weights so I could get a workout.
The gym waited in anticipation as the judges conferred to make a decision. First the boy’s winner was announced. I don’t want to brag, but I guess now would be a good time to tell you that you are reading the words of the new Mr. CTT. Me and my boys from cabin one took the title with us to the BV and boy, were we excited.
Next, the girl’s winner was announced and Nicole, with help from the female CITs, celebrated her win in her orange leggings, cowboy boots and suspenders with a studded belt.
It was a fun night at camp, and a very impressive end to what could have been a ruined evening. I guess the ability to churn out an event like the Mr. and Mrs. CTT pageant in about an hour is what makes Camp Tall Timbers so special.
The fact that everyone pitches in and tries to make the activity as fun as possible is testament to the quality of people that make up our CTT family. We had so much fun in what was basically an improvised activity it just shows that it doesn’t really matter what we do, as long as we do something together. Halfway through the first session, the CTT community is coming together into one big, happy unit.